TOUCH. To-morrow is the joyful day, Audrey; to-morrow will we be married.

AUD. I do desire it with all my heart and I hope it is no dishonest desire, to desire to be a woman of the world.(5) Here comes two of the banished duke's pages.

Enter two Pages.

1 PAGE. Well met, honest gentleman.

TOUCH. By my troth, well met: Come, sit, sit, and a song.

2 PAGE. We are for you: sit i'the middle.

1 PAGE. Shall we clap into't roundly, without hawking, or spitting, or saying we are hoarse; which are the only prologues to a bad voice?

2 PAGE. I'faith, i'faith; and both in a tune, like two gypsies on a horse.

a Shall we clap into't roundly] i. e. strike in boldly at once. See" clap into your prayers," M. for M. IV. 3. Abhors.

SONG.

I.

It was a lover, and his lass,

With a hey, and a ho, and a hey nonino,(6) That o'er the green corn-field did pass,

In the spring time, the only pretty rang time,(7) When birds do sing, hey ding a ding, ding; Sweet lovers love the spring.

II.

And therefore take the present time,

With a hey, and a ho, and a hey nonino;

For love is crowned with the prime
In spring time, &c.

III.

Between the acres of the rye,

With a hey, and a ho, and a hey nonino,

These pretty country folks would lie,
In spring time, &c.

IV.

This carol they began that hour,

With a hey, and a ho, and a hey nonino,

How that a life was but a flower

In spring time, &c.

TOUCH. Truly, young gentlemen, though there was no great matter in the ditty, yet the note was very untuneable.a

a

no great matter in the ditty, yet &c.] i. e. though there was so little meaning in the words, yet the music fully matched it, the note was as, little tuneable.

1 PAGE. You are deceived, sir; we kept time, we lost not our time.

TOUCH. By my troth, yes; I count it but time lost to hear such a foolish song. God be with you; and God mend your voices! Come, Audrey.

Exeunt.

SCENE IV.

Another Part of the Forest.

Enter Duke senior, AMIENS, JAQUES, ORLANDO, OLIVER, and Celia.

DUKE S. Dost thou believe, Orlando, that the boy

Can do all this that he hath promised?

OLI. I sometimes do believe, and sometimes do

not;

As those that fear they hope, and know they fear.*

Enter ROSALIND, SILVIUS, and PHEBE.

Ros. Patience once more, whiles our compact is urg'd:

You say, if I bring in your Rosalind,

[To the Duke. You will bestow her on Orlando here?

• As those that fear they hope, and know they fear] Our author seems here to have more than ordinarily entangled himself by his favourite antithetical licence with both ideas and words. We may interpret it," As those, that under a sad misgiving entertain a trembling hope, at the same time that they feel real apprehension and fears."

A man might, with propriety, say, I fear I entertain so much hope, as teaches me I cannot be without fear of disappointment. Orlando says, he is like that man.

DUKE S. That would I, had I kingdoms to give

with her.

Ros. And you say, you will have her, when I
bring her?
[TO ORLANDO.
ORL. That would I, were I of all kingdoms king.

Ros. You say, you'll marry me, if I be willing?
[TO PHEBE.

PHE. That will I, should I die the hour after. Ros. But, if you do refuse to marry me, You'll give yourself to this most faithful shepherd. PHE. So is the bargain.

Ros. You say, that you'll have Phebe, if she will? [TO SILVIUS.

SIL. Though to have her and death were both one thing.

Ros. I have promis'd to make all this matter

even.

Keep you your word, O duke, to give your daughter;

You yours, Orlando, to receive his daughter:-
Keep you your word, Phebe, that you'll marry me;
Or else, refusing me, to wed this shepherd
Keep your word, Silvius, that you'll marry her,
If she refuses me:-and from hence I go,
To make these doubts all even.(8)

[Exeunt ROSALIND and CELIA.

DUKE S. I do remember in this shepherd-boy Some lively touches of my daughter's favour.

ORL. My lord, the first time that I ever saw him, Methought he was a brother to your daughter: But, my good lord, this boy is forest-born; And hath been tutor❜d in the rudiments Of many desperate studies by his uncle,

a touches of my daughter's favour] i. e. traits. See III. 2. Celia. "Touches dearest priz'd." And see favour, Haml. V. 1. Haml.

Whom he reports to be a great magician,
Obscured in the circle of this forest.

Enter TOUCHSTONE and AUDREY.

JAQ. There is, sure, another flood toward, and these couples are coming to the ark! Here comes a pair of very strange beasts, which in all tongues are called fools.

TOUCH. Salutation and greeting to you all!

JAQ. Good my lord, bid him welcome; This is the motley-minded gentleman, that I have so often met in the forest: he hath been a courtier, he

swears.

TOUCH. If any man doubt that, let him put me to my purgation. I have trod a measure; I have flattered a lady; I have been politick with my friend, smooth with mine enemy; I have undone three tailors; I have had four quarrels, and like to have fought one.

JAQ. And how was that ta'en up?"

TOUCH. 'Faith, we met, and found the quarrel was upon the seventh cause.

JAQ. How seventh cause?-Good my lord, like this fellow.

DUKE S. I like him very well.

TOUCH. God'ild you, sir; I desire you of the like.(9) I press in here, sir, amongst the rest of the country copulatives, to swear, and to forswear; according as marriage binds, and blood breaks :(10)

trod a measure] He particularly fixes upon this as his mode of proof, Malone says, because a measure was a very stately solemn dance: "the wedding mannerly modest, as a measure full of state and ancientry." M. ado &c.

b How was that ta'en up] i. e. composed, made up. Touchstone presently says, an if did it at once, "when seven justices could not take up a quarrel."